Congressmen Duncan, Mulvaney back state Sen. Grooms in bid for Congress

State Sen. Larry Grooms landed two high-profile endorsements Thursday as South Carolina congressmen Jeff Duncan and Mick Mulvaney endorsed his bid for the 1st District in a joint announcement.

Duncan, R-SC3, cited Grooms’ background as a small-business owner operating a chain of convenience stores, his show of 2nd Amendment support in the Firearms Liberty Act and his potential to maintain a unified conservative front within the state delegation.

“While there are several good candidates in the 1st Congressional race, Larry Grooms has the record, values, and conviction best suited to represent the Lowcountry in Congress,” Duncan said in a statement.

Mulvaney, R-SC5, struck a similar chord, praising the field of Republicans vying for the coastal district but arguing Grooms stands above the rest.

“When it comes to reducing taxes, cutting wasteful Washington spending and protecting our liberties, I believe Larry Grooms is the right man for the job,” he said.

Grooms has represented Charleston and Berkeley counties since 1997, and he currently heads the Transportation Committee.

To local media Grooms has touted a provision in his bill restructuring the State Ports Authority that directed the agency to “expeditiously develop a port in Jasper County” as well as language that allows the governor to fire board members for neglecting duties. Grooms led a charge last summer to override vetoes against a newly designed Jasper Ocean Terminal panel rule that would force South Carolina appointees of the two-state board to vote in near uniformity and another provision challenging a Savannah harbor deepening seen as a threat to the Jasper project by some.

In the five-county 1st District, Charleston and Berkeley counties accounted for about 60 percent of the GOP turnout in November’s race between now-Sen. Tim Scott and Democratic challenger Bobbie Rose,

In a 16-candidate Republican field that’s likely to spur a runoff after the March 19 primary, the key is securing a position in the top to serve as an alternative to former Gov. Mark Sanford, who, despite the damage from his extramarital affair, is still considered a frontrunner, said Mark Tompkins, a professor of political science at the University of South Carolina. Sanford’s challenger could pick up droves of disaffected voters, he added.

“This adds some weight to his claim to be the strongest alternative to Mark Sanford,” Tompkins said. “If it enhances his ability to raise money for the race, then it becomes even more important.”

And while endorsements might not sway large swaths of voters in a general election, they matter to primary voters, donors and other key blocks, said Shell Suber, a South Carolina political consultant.

“It’s seen as an indication of credibility and momentum among insiders,” he said. “In a race with this many candidates, having two of our state’s current congressmen say they want Sen. Grooms in the seat next to them is a significant win for him.”